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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>354974</law_id><section_number>22.1-7.1</section_number><catch_line>Open school enrollment policy</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><referred_to_by><reference>22.1-7.2</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="60" identifier="22.1">Education</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="1">System of Public Schools; General Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Any local <span class="dictionary">school board</span> may establish and implement policies to provide for the <span class="dictionary">open enrollment</span> to any school of any student residing within the school division upon the request of a <span class="dictionary">parent</span> or guardian. In developing such policies, a local <span class="dictionary">school board</span> may include the following conditions and limitations: <a id="paragraph-1321784" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/22.1-7.1/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> An application process whereby a <span class="dictionary">parent</span> or guardian indicates a school preference for purposes of his child attending a school in the child&#x2019;s school division but outside of the attendance area in which the child resides; <a id="paragraph-1321785" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/22.1-7.1/#A1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> A requirement that the <span class="dictionary">parent</span> or guardian provide transportation for the student attending a school other than his assigned school; <a id="paragraph-1321786" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/22.1-7.1/#A2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A3" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> A requirement that a student may be disqualified from attending a school other than his assigned school if he has been subject to a specified disciplinary action; <a id="paragraph-1321787" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/22.1-7.1/#A3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A4" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">4.</span> A prohibition on the recruitment of a student from one school to another by a school division employee; <a id="paragraph-1321788" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/22.1-7.1/#A4"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A5" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">5.</span> A limitation on participation in certain athletic activities for a student who chooses to attend a school other than his assigned school; <a id="paragraph-1321789" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/22.1-7.1/#A5"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A6" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">6.</span> A random, unbiased selection process in the event <span class="dictionary">open enrollment</span> requests exceed the capacity of a school; <a id="paragraph-1321790" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/22.1-7.1/#A6"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A7" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">7.</span> A provision that a student shall be permitted to remain at the receiving school until the student has completed the highest grade level in the school; and <a id="paragraph-1321791" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/22.1-7.1/#A7"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A8" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">8.</span> A preference to a student (i) who resides in a location that has been subject to a change in school attendance area during the previous two years, (ii) who has a sibling attending the receiving school, or (iii) whose <span class="dictionary">parent</span> or guardian is an employee of the receiving school. <a id="paragraph-1321792" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/22.1-7.1/#A8"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> A copy of the school division&#x2019;s policies for <span class="dictionary">open enrollment</span>, if any, shall be posted on the division&#x2019;s website and shall be available to the public upon request. <a id="paragraph-1321793" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/22.1-7.1/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> Nothing in this section shall interfere with a local <span class="dictionary">school board</span>&#x2019;s authority to adopt a pupil assignment plan pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Powers and duties" href="/22.1-79/">22.1-79</a>. <a id="paragraph-1321794" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/22.1-7.1/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> For the purposes of this section, &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">open enrollment</span>&#x201D; means a policy adopted and implemented by a local <span class="dictionary">school board</span> to allow any student to enroll in any school within the school division of attendance regardless of the location of the student&#x2019;s residence. <a id="paragraph-1321795" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/22.1-7.1/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2012, c. 510; 2013, c. 805; 2015, c. 369; 2022, c. 355.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
